Tech Tips »

For most updated instructions on Second Life, visit the Second Life Wiki.

Technical Tips for Second Life

I am new to Second Life (SL).
  1. Create an account/avatar and download the Second Life viewer.

    Go to the Second Life site, click the "Join Now" button, and follow the instructions there.

  2. Learn basic skills.

    You can learn SL basic skills at the Orientation Island Public in Second Life. If the previous link does not work, follow the instructions below:

    1. Start up your Second Life viewer.
    2. Click the "Search" button on the lower panel.
    3. Check to see "All" tab is selected and search for "Orientation Island Public."
    4. Click the "Region: Orientation Island Public."
I created my avatar and learned basic skills. What's next?

The following settings and skills will be necessary to attend MyChina Village events and perform language tasks with your partner.

  1. Join the "MyChina Village Immersion Camp" group in Second Life
    1. Click the "Search" button on the lower panel.
    2. Click the "Groups" tab and search for "MyChina."
    3. Click on "MyChina Village Immersion Camp" and click the "View Full Profile" button.
    4. Click the "Join (L$0)" button.
    5. You should see "MyChina Villager" title over your head now.
  2. If your title does not show up over your head
    1. Go to Edit > Preferences > General.
    2. Make sure these are NOT checked: "Hide All Group Titles," "Hide My Group Title"
  3. Change time of day

    When it is night in SL, you cannot see things well. You can change how it looks on your browser by going to World > Environment Setting > Midday.

  4. Sit

    Right-click on the place you want to sit and select "Sit."

  5. Send a friend request

    Your "friends" will show up in your contact list. This will make it easy for you to find them to send an Instant Message, offer a teleport, etc.

    To submit a request for friendship, right-click on the person you wish to offer friendship and choose "Add to friend." Once the person has accepted your offer, he/she will show up in the "Friends" tab in "Contact," which you can access by clicking the "Communicate" button in the bottom left-hand corner.

  6. Text chat

    Click the speech bubble button on the far left.

  7. View text chat history

    Click the "Communicate" button on the bottom left and make sure the "Local Chat" tab is selected.

  8. Use Instant Message (IM) for private conversation

    When you want to chat privately with someone, you can send an Instant Message.

    1. Go to the "MyChina Village Immersion Camp" group page.
    2. Double-click the user you would like to talk to.
    3. Click the "Instant Message..." button at the bottom and type your message in the box.
  9. Voice chat and adjusting volume

    Use a headset with a microphone. If you don't have one, please get one. A USB microphone is preferred because some Mac Books have had issues with the line-in mic.

    To Talk inside Second Life:

    1. To talk, press the "Talk" button in the bottom right-hand corner or hold down the scroll wheel of your mouse. Do not press the lock button.
    2. To adjust the volume, click the up arrow next to the two speech bubbles on the right.
    3. For a tutorial on how to use voice chat, view this video.
    4. If there is unnecessary microphone feedback, view this page.

    Adjusting Your Microphone for Voice Chat: PC

    1. Click on the volume button on the corner menu. You may have to click "Show Hidden Icons" if it's not there.
    2. On the "Master Volume" menu, choose "Options," then "Properties."
    3. On the "Properties" menu, choose "Recording" and make sure any microphone devices are checked in the "Show the following volume controls" menu.
    4. Click OK to change it to the "Recording Control" menu. Set the slider at one third or less, then adjust as needed.
    5. Make these adjustments at your own risk. It works for us, but many computers are different.
    6. The most important part is making sure that you set audio output to your headset and not your speakers so you don't cause echo.

    Adjusting Your Microphone for Voice Chat: Mac

    1. Click on "Systems Preferences" in the Dock.
    2. Click on the "Sound" icon under "Hardware."
    3. Select "Input."
    4. Select input device, preferably a USB or line-in mic; avoid the built in internal microphone if you want to be heard clearly. Talk into the microphone while adjusting the Input Level slider and set it around the half way point.
    5. Also, make sure your audio Output is set to your USB Headset instead of your internal speakers, so you don't cause echo.
    6. The most important part is making sure that you set audio output to your headset and not your speakers so you don't cause echo.
Here are some extra useful skills.
  1. Jump to a certain area

    Pull up the map on the bottom toolbar and double-click the point you would like to teleport to.

  2. Voice chat for private conversation

    When you want to voice-chat privately with someone, you can call the person.

    1. Go to the "MyChina Village Immersion Camp" group page.
    2. Double-click the user you would like to talk to.
    3. Click the "Call" button at the top.
  3. Wear and take off an object and retrieve an object from your inventory
    1. To take off/wear an object (e.g, a hat), press the "Inventory" button on the far right. Make sure you are looking in your "My Inventory" and "Clothing" folders.
    2. Right-click on an object and choose "Wear" or "Take off."
    3. To retrieve an object, double-click it.
  4. Saving an appearance
    1. Go to Edit->Appearance and click the "Make Outfit..." button at the bottom.
    2. As a folder name, put something that describes your outfit, like "Normal Outfit."
    3. Be sure to check all the boxes, including "Rename Clothing to Folder Name."
    4. Click save.
    5. In your Inventory->Clothing folder you should have a folder with the title of the outfit you just made.
    6. To try on different outfits, just drag the folders in your Clothing folder on top of your character and release the mouse button.
  5. Lip syncing

    To enable the beta implementation of lip syncing in Second Life, do the following:

    1. Press the Ctrl+Alt+D keys (Command+Alt+D for Mac). This will make the Advanced menu show up at the top.
    2. Click the Advanced menu, move the pointed down to "Character" and then select "Enable Lip Sync Beta."
    3. Ensure that there is nothing attached to the head.
    4. When you speak through the microphone, the character's lips should move.

  6. To find out more about the LipSync feature, visit the Second Life Wiki page here.

Copyright © 2009 Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS)